作为首个宣称自己是gay是全球500强CEO，库克的出柜获得了一片喝彩。然而也许有人会问：为什么现在才出柜？
Apple's Tim Cook is the first publicly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Amid the
din1 of applause, one might also ask: What took so long?
Public
confirmations2 of sexuality have increased in Hollywood, and have started to appear in the sports world, including that of football player Michael Sam, who came out right before this year's NFL draft. But it's rare to see in the traditionally conservative business world, let alone at one of the world's most profitable tech companies.
The
ripple3 effect of Cook's essay in Bloomberg Businessweek magazine Thursday was
immediate4, generating tweets from the likes of
Virgin5 Group
founder6 Richard Branson ("Inspirational words") and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella ("Inspired by @tim_cook").
Inspired by @tim_cook: “Life’s most persistent7 & urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’" http://t.co/wjzW5QPxqY via @BW — Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) October 30, 2014
From one son of the South and sports fanatic8 to another, my hat's off to you, @Tim_cook. http://t.co/1dXvRa2Nhu — Bill Clinton (@billclinton) October 30, 2014
Before Cook, the most senior exec identified as gay was British Petroleum's John Browne, who resigned in 2007 after his sexuality was revealed by a British
tabloid9. He has since lobbied for more openness in the workplace, particularly in his June book, The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out Is Good for Business.
One reason why being gay in business may remain
relatively10 taboo11 has "to do with perception of strength, which it shouldn't," says Daryl Lee, global CEO of media agency UM. "You don't want to take any risks in business and you don't want to be seen as weak."
But if you're gay and come out, he says, "it can be a source of strength."
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